Barago
' '''Barago' (バラゴ, Barago?) is the main antagonist of the first series. He is also known as Kiba the Dark Knight (暗黒騎士・呀（キバ), Ankoku Kishi Kiba), and as Karune Ryuzaki (龍崎 駈音, Ryūzaki Karune). Barago is portrayed by Kenichi Kobayashi (小林 健一, Kobayashi Ken'ichi?). As Ryuzaki, he is portrayed by Masaki Kyomoto (京本 政樹, Kyōmoto Masaki?). Background Barago was the son of a Makai Knight and a Makai Priestess and had a happy childhood. When his mother fell ill, Barago intended to protect his mother and thus decided to become a Maki Knight himself through harsh training. However, forced to watch his mother turn into a Horror before his father kills her, Barago left home to find a himself another teacher, as he was unsure if his training with his father was of any use. News of his father's death came to him soon after he left home, but he felt no sadness as he thinks that his father died because he was weak. To that end, he became a talented Makai disciple of Taiga Saezima, hoping to become the next Garo. But refused the right, Barago's desperation for power grew and Messiah heard his need, appearing before him when he enter a forgotten lair filled with forbidden techniques. Messiah proceeded to offer Barago her power in return of enacting the legend of Kiba, giving him both the name and armor of Kiba. Messiah taught Barago various skills, including to endure his Soul armor's time limit and will himself out of his Lost Soul Beast Kiba (心滅獣身呀 Shinmetsu Jūshin Kiba?) form by absorbing a Horror. , Barago proceeds to assimilate the attributes of Horrors he defeats through absorption; however, this came at the cost of his own humanity. Subsequent usage of the forbidden magics tainted the Soul Armor and reconfigured its form with more Horror-like features and twisted Barago's soul. It was then that Taiga was forced to take action against Barago, pursuing his corrupt disciple and engaged him in combat. Though he fatally wounded his former mentor, Barago was scarred with the "Mark of Death" as Taiga's final move in hope that the scar's effect would kill him in a few days. But the Horrors dwelling inside Barago's body enabled him to elude death, though his face became horribly deformed. It was by that time that Barago came to the realization that he despised Makai Knights more than Horrors as he devoured them as well. From there, Barago proceeded to hunt Horrors in order to asborb the needed quota of 1000 to being Messiah into the world and become her immortal vessel. However, the absorption of Horrors and subsequent usage of the Madou's forbidden magics turns Barago into a monster who also eats Makai Knights. It was then that Taiga was forced to take action against him, pursuing his corrupt disciple and engaged him and combat. Their battle, however, would end in Taiga's death, but not before Taiga branded Barago with the "Mark of Death", believing it would kill him in a few days. But the Horrors dwelling inside Barago's body enabled him to elude death, though his face became horribly deformed. Since then, Barago has been planting dark Yīn essence into objects to create Horror gates for his prey to emerge from. Half way in reaching his goal, Barago proceeds to find an ideal human to serve as a living gateway for Messiah to possess: a girl of age six born on the sixth day of the sixth month. He found Kaoru soon after and marks her to become his gateway. Murdering the previous Silver Fang Knight, Barago used a potion he stole from Rei's foster father to change his face into a youthful appearance, creating the identity of Ryuzaki to oversee Kaoru's wellbeing as her personal psychiatrist and counselor. With his new face, Barago finds himself a rival in the Makai Knight Bado, fighting him on occasion before finally killing him. Some time after, Barago sought the legendary Horror Ganon, only for Sigma Fudo to have stolen his quarry before he arrived. However, Barago gains an follower in Elda whom he revived as a Horror-like being. Story In a dramatic grand display of power, Kiba appears before Garo and Zero when the two are overpowered by a giant Horror created from the sealed Horror blades. Given the Ankokuzan halbard by the Eastern Watchdogs, Kiba single-handedly absorbed the giant Horror. When Barago's arrangements are nearly complete, he sees no more need to conceal his identity as Ryuzaki kidnaps Kaoru to begin the summoning ritual to call forth Messiah. He proceeds to reveal his life story to Kaoru before Messiah takes her over and has Barago severe his ties with his mother in order to destroy the very last trace of light. However, now beyond redemption, Barago learns too late that he was just being used by the Horror as Messiah "ate" Barago with little resistance. But his body returned to the living world after Messiah was defeated by Kouga, fully possessed by the armor of Kiba. Now nothing more than a Horror, Kiba battles Garo and Zero, only to be destroyed by the former in a one-on-one swordfight. Trivia Barago is the only Makai Knight who transforms without a Soul Metal weapon, but instead a Madou necklace, blowing on it to activate it, then swinging it to become the Dark Knight.